Posted by Kevin
on
1 May 2013

Dsquared2 knows where its perfume customers are — Europe. Except for its first fragrances (He Wood and She Wood), DSquared2 perfumes just don’t show up here in the U.S. (or in Canada, if the Vancouver, B.C., Sephora is any indication). Perfume launches are expensive, so why spend money on the U.S. when it doesn’t generate a huge amount of revenue? I’ve gotten used to this situation and can eventually find almost all Europe-only perfume launches I’m interested in at online U.S. discounters (even Amazon.com) or on eBay.
DSquared2’s fragrance aesthetic, for men at least, is usually centered around woods — warm and pungent (He Wood Rocky Mountain Wood, He Wood Silver Wind Wood) or cool and aquatic (He Wood, He Wood Ocean Wet Wood). Potion for Men* falls into the first category; it goes on smelling like a cinnamon cookie, its spiciness enlivened with a drop of mint oil (and perhaps a squirt of angelica). This “cookie” is not too sweet because its aroma is layered with toasty, incense-y, cedar wood. Discreet iris/gentian mingles with all the notes, adding softness to the overall feel of the fragrance…
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Posted by Robin
on
12 April 2013

Swiss luxury jewelry and watch brand Charriol has launched Royal White, a new woody floral fragrance for men…
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Posted by Robin
on
20 April 2012

Yves Rocher has launched Un Matin Au Jardin, a new trio of garden-inspired floral fragrances for women…
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Posted by Kevin
on
5 October 2011

Several years ago, the Bond no. 9 van skidded off the road and all perfumers onboard suffered minor head traumas that affected their sense of smell.* After the accident, Bond no. 9 perfumes started to smell alike, as if the same perfumes were being released over and over again, but in different bottles. Recent Bond no. 9 perfumes smell like middling-mainstream fragrances (Bond no. 9 pricing has not been affected, mind you). It’s been years since the debut of a Bond no. 9 fragrance excited me. (Of course, the Bond no. 9 “New York” idea is running out of steam. Pretty soon we’ll be getting “Fire Hydrant, South Corner of Central Park W. and W. 81st St.” in bright yellow bottles.)
Bond no. 9 is not the only perfume company that’s gotten lazy and complacent and pumps out the same type of “stuff” over and over again. When was the last launch that made you mad with desire…after you smelled the scent? At the same time I sniffed Bond no. 9’s new I Love New York for All, I received Thierry Mugler A*Men Taste of Fragrance and Jean Paul Gaultier Kokorico.
Today, I have three short and (cocoa) sweet perfume reviews. These perfumes have a lot in common; they are gourmands with coffee, cocoa, pepper, vanilla, patchouli, indistinct “woods” and sheer musk. I could almost write one review that would cover them all…
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Posted by Robin
on
1 August 2011

DSquared2 will launch Potion, a new fragrance for men, in September. Potion is described as “the scent of seduction” and is fronted by model Diego Miguel…
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